Confiteor

I feed the homeless on Wednesdays at a local Lutheran church in Berkeley, California, where I live.

I used to arrive early enough that I would help set up, pitch in in the kitchen, and so forth, but now (due to gaining employment) I arrive maybe 15 minutes after the doors open, so the line is already moving past the table where the spaghetti and salad are being served to the diners.

A couple weeks ago, after I arrived, I joined the line and had spaghetti served to me. This might have been an opportunity to experience solidarity with the diners, but I was careful to mention to the servers that I was usually on their side of the serving table, and not one of “them” who need help. As soon as I did that, I was sick at heart – I had, in a very real sense, denied Christ Himself.

A wonderful thing about Christ is that, when you go to serve him, he shows you how much you need him.

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti,
et vobis fratres,
quia peccavi nimis
cogitatione, verbo
opere et omissione:
mea culpa, mea culpa,
mea maxima culpa.
Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem,
omnes angelos et Sanctos,
et vobis fratres,
orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum. Amen.